Dream World
by Raiast
Summary: Rated just to be safe. Ginny sleeps each night, like everyone else, but while she sleeps she also lives...in another world...in another century. She finally gets fed up with her "dreams" and confides in a certain Slytherin. Will they be able to crack th
1. The Dreams

A friend of mine coughcoughPatilaputracoughcough requested I write a _real _story one of these days so she can wait in anticipation for months when I never update again. Lol

Setting: Ginny's 6th year, a few weeks before Christmas break

_--------------------------------------------------------_

_"Back so soon?" Charise questioned Ginny._

_"Afraid so…" Ginny mumbled while pushing the heavy covers off of her and tumbling out of her queen sized bed._

_"You sound disappointed?" Charise questioned. Ginny noticed a hint of hurt in the girl's voice._

_"Oh, no. It's just…I was rather tired, and I didn't feel much like dreaming tonight."_

_"But 'ow do you know this is the dream?" the servant asked. "Maybe it's the other life, the one that appears real, is the dream…after all, the notion of _you _of all people being _poor_…it's laughable."_

_"The notion that I'm an heir to a fortune of the 19th Century is quite laughable to me." Ginny explained._

_"Well come, we must get you dressed, if you want to look proper for the gov'ner's wife today."_

_"Oh, honestly, it's just a tea…"_

_"With the gov'ner's wife!" added Charise. "If I were to be 'aving teas with anyone important I'd do right to make sure I looked good and proper!" The black girl exclaimed._

_"Yes, yes, alright, let's get me dressed then…"_

-------Don't be confused!-------

_Ginny had been fitted into a dress that, in her opinion, was eight sizes too small and too tight for movement. She had been starved all morning ("You'll want to 'ave an appetite later today!") and had been powdered so much she resembled a porcelain doll._

_As she trudged out across the street to the carriage, not bothering to pick up the hem of her dress, she stepped on said hem and fell to the ground most ungracefully, scraping her elbow in the process._

_The sound of hooves could be heard close by and Ginny looked up. A pair of horses and a carriage was headed right towards her at full speed and, to Ginny's horror, the driver didn't seem to notice!_

_A scream left Ginny's paralyzed body as the horses reared up, preparing to trample her._

_--------------------------------------------------------_

Ginny choked on a gasp of horror as she shot straight up in bed.

Breathing heavily she threw off her covers and trudged to the bathroom. When the door had been locked she ran the cold water and splashed her face a few times. Still panting, she looked up in the mirror at her pale face.

She frowned at the horrible dark circles underneath her eyes and raised her hand to trace them. As she did so she noticed the bloody elbow reflecting back at her.

Ginny sat on the toilet and tenderly wiped the dirt and blood from the wound.

She sighed. "Ugh, that's un_sightly_!" She walked over to the bathroom door with every intention of going to the Hospital Wing, but thought better of it.

_Pomphrey isn't a complete dolt…_she thought. _She's bound to ask questions about how a girl would get a ghastly scrape on her elbow in the middle of the night…_

With this thought she summoned up some gauze and wrapped the wound instead.

On her way back to bed she glanced at the clock. She hadn't even gone to sleep four hours ago!

Ginny collapsed on her bed, not bothering with the covers and fell into a deep and, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

_--------------------------------------------------------_

Ginny slept in the next morning. She awoke at 10:30 to an empty dormitory. "Thank goodness it's Saturday!" she muttered, pulling some jeans on.

A distant cheer sounded outside and Ginny walked over to the window. A tremendous blotch of red was filling up the Quidditch field, celebrating yet another Gryffindor win.

Ginny smiled as a red blur shot around above the crowd, signifying Harry in his victory lap.

_But enough! _Ginny thought. _It's time I get to the library, I find out what these…er, dreams..._really _mean…_

_--------------------------------------------------------_

Ginny stumbled towards the library doors, stacks of books burdening the use of her arms.

She clumsily kicked the door open. But no sooner had she taken a step out that someone tried to take a step in, and they collided.

Ginny righted herself before she fell; put her pile of books fell to the floor with a crash. Thanking Merlin that Madame Pince hadn't just seen that display of "total disrespect for the wise novels of her profession" Ginny bent down to collect them.

"Doing a bit of light reading, are we, Weasley?" Draco Malfoy picked up a book the roughly resembled the size of the fifth Jerry Scotter book series.

Ginny snorted. "Yeah, just a little."

"_Dreaming, Dreams and Their Meanings, Reoccurring Dreams, Cursed Dreams…_" Malfoy read of the titles, dropping them into Ginny's arms as he did so. "Having a bit of trouble with nightmares are we?"

"Not nightmares, per se…" Ginny sighed.

Her and Malfoy had been…well, the closest thing they could ever be to friends ever since the beginning of the year, when they spent a good three quarters of her Potion's detention he was overseeing complaining about everything horrible in her life.

It turned out that Malfoy could be quite agreeable, when he felt like it, and they spent time every now and then either talking peacefully or spitting random insults at each other.

Ginny was quite pleased with the fact that she could now let Malfoy's comments roll right off her back, and it seemed that Malfoy was quite pleased with himself that he was rubbing off on the she-weasel, she was almost a good as he was…almost.

"Why aren't you at the Quidditch match? I figured you of all people would be there to study the Gryffindor's strategies."

Malfoy huffed. "I would be, in they _had _any strategies. But no, you Gryffindor's are all about randomness, what's the point in trying to figure you out?" He tugged on one of her braided pigtails lightly and she pulled her hair away.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Shoot."

"Do you ever have…reoccurring dreams?"

"Sure." Ginny sighed with relief. She wasn't the only one! "I have this one that I favor ever so often, where I beat the entire Gryffindor team single handedly 360 to zip, and they're all on these super fast brooms, but mine's broken, so I have to ride a school broom and I win anyways, and Potter gets all huffed up and tries to deck me, but I beat the bloody crap out of him and—"

Ginny's heart fell slightly. "No, I didn't exactly mean the _same _dream…I meant like…" she sighed. "I don't even know _how _to describe it…"

"Try."

What a help…"It's like—" Ginny stopped as a group of Ravenclaw girls glanced towards them as they entered the library. "We can't talk here. Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"You're room."

"We are?"

"You're Head Boy, you've got a private room and we need privacy for this conversation."

Malfoy shrugged and led the way.

_--------------------------------------------------------_

When she had made herself comfortable on Malfoy's black and silver leather couch she let out a calming breath.

"You were saying?" Malfoy urged her on as he flopped down into a chair near the fireplace.

"It's like a reoccurring dream, only it's not the same as before…It's like…it continues…"

Malfoy gave her a questioning look. He obviously wasn't grasping the concept.

Ginny sighed. "When we go to sleep, we wake up the next morning to a new day, but still remembering the event of the last day. With me so far?"

Malfoy nodded.

"When I go to sleep here, I wake up _there_. When I wake up there, it's just like real life, it's a new day, but the events of the last…dream…are just like a yesterday there. Still following?"

Malfoy straightened slightly and leaned forward. "So you're saying that you think that you're—"

"Traveling to another time, another world, in my sleep."

"And how do you know they aren't just…dreams?" he questioned skeptically.

Ginny hesitated, but explained her "dream" the previous night. "And when I woke up…" she lifted the sleeve of her right arm to show the wrapped scrape. "I had a cut in the exact same place."

Malfoy's eyes widened slightly and a look of slight interest flashed through his grey eyes. "Has this…happened before?"

"Yes. When I get hurt there, I get her here, and vice versa."

Malfoy let out a long breath. "Bloody hell…"

"That's not all…"

Malfoy waited patiently for her to continue.

"The people…in this …other world, they resemble the people in my life."

Malfoy grinned. "So you dream about me, do you?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at the insinuation. "Slightly. Parker Windom. Blue eyes, blonde hair…an insufferable git…from what I perceive he's meant to be you."

Malfoy ignored the last comment. "Anything else interesting enough worth mentioning? Any other…characters?"

"A few." Ginny replied. "Charise, my maid, I think she's supposed to by Winky. She's a house elf." She explained to Malfoy's blank look. He nodded. "And Charlotte…I'm pretty sure that's Hermione because—"

A loud knock at Malfoy's door interrupted them. "Malfoy!" Hermione's voice sounded from the other side.

Malfoy seemed a _tad _perturbed by the interruption. "What?" he called back impatiently.

"Dumbledore requested a meeting with us!"

Malfoy sighed. "Be right there!" he turned to Ginny. "We'll continue this after lunch."

Ginny shook her head. "No good. Neville's supposed to tutor me in Herbology."

"Will that take long?"

"MALFOY!"

"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" he roared.

Ginny suppressed her smile. "With my marks it's likely to take all afternoon."

A low growl of frustration emitted from the back of Malfoy's throat. "I'll see you when I see you then."

"MALF—" Hermione's voice ceased at Malfoy ripped the door open.

"When I say I'm coming," he hissed. "It means _I'm coming_."

Hermione crossed her arms as Malfoy and Ginny exited the room. From the look she gave her, Ginny deducted that Hermione still wasn't too happy with the thought of Ginny conferring with Malfoy. And she most _defiantly_ didn't look to happy that it took Malfoy five minutes to answer his door while they were locked in his room.

Ginny had explained time and time again that she and Malfoy were hardly _friends_, let alone anything else, but Hermione just didn't seem to want to believe that.

They nodded their parting as Malfoy and Hermione headed towards Dumbledore's office and Ginny headed back to her dorm, her arms again full of books.

She was in for some _heavy _reading.

_--------------------------------------------------------_

So? Whatcha think? Was it too confusing in the beginning?

I wanted to jump right into the plot; otherwise I seem to prattle on uselessly.

Charise: pronounced Sha-reese

There will be VERY little to NO fluff between Draco and Ginny if I can help it.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Review it!


	2. Potions Class and the Meeting

Well…here it is…

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_Ginny's forehead was cold. She opened her eyes slowly to see Charise dabbing it with a cool, wet cloth._

_  
"Ah, finally awake I see."_

_"Mmm…" Ginny agreed, sitting up slowly. She quickly fell back down, clutching her temples. "Ack!"_

_"You _should _be in pain, miss. You _were _trampled by two horses!"_

_  
Ginny's eyebrows furrowed. "But I woke up…I wasn't hurt except for the cut on my arm." Ginny raised her right arm to find her bandage removed and her cut healed. "Did you heal me?"_

_This time it was Charise's who furrowed her eyebrows. "Your arm wasn't hurt upon arrival, miss; you hit your head mighty hard when you fell down though…"_

_Ginny was confused. "It…wasn't?"_

_Charise shook her head: no._

_"I have to go." Ginny sat up again, slower this time._

_"I don't know if that's such a good idea ma'am…"_

_"I'll be fine…"_

_  
"But miss—" she protested._

_"You're dismissed, Charise." Ginny snapped, a bit to cold for her liking._

_Charise shut her mouth, curtsied and exited the room, her eyes downcast the whole time._

_In all the time Ginny had had these dreams, she had _never _treated Charise like a common maid. She felt like Slytherin dirt._

_She made her way over to her wardrobe and picked out a not-too-fluffy dress to change into._

_When she looked halfway decent she made her way outside. The sun shone bright, and Ginny had to rest a hand just below her eyebrows to see anything._

_She spotted a familiar blonde making his way towards the fruit stand and followed his trail. _

_No one but Ginny saw it. While everyone was gazing at his flirtatious, dazzling smile, Ginny was watching the hand Parker held behind his back grab a pair of ruby red apples inconspicuously. _

_She smiled and shook her head, and followed the would-be-Slytherin-if-he-was-in-my-world boy into a nearby alleyway. _

_She snuck up close behind him and grabbed the arm currently holding the apples and growled. "Thief!"_

_Parker stiffened slightly and moments later had Ginny up against the wall, a knife to her throat._

_"Oh, __Virginia__, it's you…" He released Ginny and re-sheathed his knife into its proper place: his right boot. "You shouldn't do that…gave me a right scare." He grinned, tossing her an apple. "Caught me again, though, did you?"_

_Ginny smiled. "I _always _catch you, Parker."_

_"Right you do." _

_"You're going to get caught one of these days, boy, and don't count on me standing up for you."_

_"I don't, it's not royalties place to defend the common riff-raff, is it?"_

_  
"I'm hardly royalty, Parker. It's not my fault I'm an heir to a fortune. It's not like I want it. Besides, you're the son of a duke, not riff-raff. You just act as such."_

_Parker snorted, choking on a bit of his apple. "Don't want it?" There was a moment of silence, followed up by: "Aren't you going to eat that? I got it just for you." He pointed to the apple Ginny held in her hand._

_"Did you?"_

_"I did."_

_"Knew I was following you?"_

_"Saw you leaving the manor four blocks ago, if that's what you mean."_

_Ginny grinned. "You _are _a sneak!"_

_"But a helpful one, I feed you, don't I?"_

_Ginny shook her head and took a bite of the apple. It was delicious, perfectly ripe._

"Ginny? Gin, wake up!" _a voice sounded in Ginny's head. It went away momentarily._

_"I have to go." She explained to Parker._

_"Drats."_

"Do you _want _to be late for Potions again?" _Why not? It worked out perfect the last time she did. Made a new sorta-kinda-friend._

_"I'll miss you love." He used his sweetest voice._

_"I'm sure…"_

"Gin, I'm serious!"

_"Behave, Parker." Was all Ginny said as she closed her eyes and disappeared._

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Ginny opened her eyes to a girl leaning over her, inches from her own face.

"Finally!" Saline sighed irritably and resumed her usual place in front of the mirror, applying her usual seven pounds of make-up.

"Sorry, sorry." Ginny muttered, falling out of her bed with a thump. "Thanks for waking me, though."

"No problem, I suppose, but now I've probably gone and missed breakfast…"

"I'll make it up to you."

Saline looked into the mirror at Ginny's reflection with an I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it expression etched into every dazzling feature.

"I will!"

Saline just shrugged.

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As it turned out, Ginny got paired with Saline for Potions. She was being quite irritable seeing as how she _did _miss breakfast. Ginny's reward for this was to slice the caterpillars AND crush the beetles for their potion.

She tried to keep her mind on the project at hand and not her dreams, though she couldn't help thinking that Parker was acting strangely. He seemed…showy wasn't the right word. He and Malfoy were _always _showy. It was more…antsy. But why Parker Windom was antsy was beyond Ginny.

"Ginny!" Saline hissed in her ear. "At least _look _like your paying attention! Snape just gave you an awful look!"

"Sorry." Ginny muttered, looking up to the board for the next instructions.

"Talking, Miss Weasley?"

"What? No sir, I was just—"

"Just begging me to deduct five points from Gryffindor? Well, I suppose if you _really _want me to…Five points from Gryffindor." Ginny's cheeks tinged red with embarrassment as she waited for Snape to move on and scold someone else. He didn't.

"Did you want something, sir?" she questioned in her most innocent voice.

Snape opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Snape sighed. "Enter."

The door opened and Draco Malfoy stepped inside and briskly walked over to the professor. "Sir, there's been a situation." He said quietly. He glanced to Ginny.

"What is it?"

"I wasn't informed of much…I just know it had to do with your office and Peeves and that—" Draco was interrupted by the swishing of Snape's robes as he shot out of the classroom.

No sooner had he stepped out that he popped his head back it. "Watch them please, would you Draco?"

But he didn't give Draco a chance to respond.

He looked to the board then back to Ginny. "Dreamless Sleep Potion, eh?"

"Yup." Ginny replied, scooping up the caterpillars.

Malfoy caught her wrist. "Unless you want to lose an eyebrow, you'll want to add the beetles first."

Ginny eyed Malfoy suspiciously and he stepped aside and pointed to the board.

_Drats, he's right…_ "Thanks." She muttered, dropping the beetles in.

Malfoy rested his hands on the table in front of her and leaned over her cauldron. "You'll be needing this, huh?" he muttered to her quietly.

Ginny shook her head: no. "I already tried. It doesn't work."

"Pity."

Saline looked from Ginny and Malfoy and back to Ginny, puzzled. It appeared everyone in the class was doing this.

"Get to work!" Malfoy barked. He spent the next twenty minutes walking around the class inspecting everyone's potions closely. He was a silent Snape.

Class was over, and Snape still wasn't back. "Bottle and label a sample vile and leave in on Professor Snape's desk." Malfoy ordered. "When you've cleaned your station you can leave.

Ginny packed up slowly, waiting for the others to leave. When the room was empty, save her and Malfoy, she gathered her things and walked over to him.

"Are you free after supper?" He nodded. "Great, we can talk then. The library, 7:00?"

"There's a desk over to the right side, as far back as you can go. It's an enclosed space, we'll have privacy enough." Ginny nodded and left.

-----------------------------------------------------

Ginny plopped down into a chair at the desk Malfoy had described, her stomach full. She still had fifteen minutes until she expected Malfoy, so she started on her Potions essay due the following Monday. Two feet on the use Billywig Stings in potions. Hurrah.

A few minutes later someone approached behind her. She glanced at her watch. "Surprise, surprise, you're earl—" she looked up to see Harry and Ron standing across from her.

"Who's early?" Harry asked.

"Who are you meeting here?" Ron asked, glancing around suspiciously.

"No one. What can I do you for, boys?"

"We thought it's been awhile since we've all hung out and well…we thought you could go to Hogsmeade with us." Ron suggested.

"Ron needs a woman's help to pick out Hermione's Christmas gift." Harry explained.

Ron's cheeks flushed and he looked down. "Course' I'll help!" Ginny grinned.

"Alright…we'll just meet you at breakfast tomorrow." Harry said.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't the Golden Boy Potter…" Malfoy sneered at Harry. "…and the Golden Boy's _sidekick_." He added, looking to Ron.

"Malfoy…" Ginny looked at him sternly.

"Quick! Did anyone else just witness that?! The headlines will read: Amazing Walking, Talking, yet Quite Annoying Ferret!" Harry quipped.

"Harry…"

"I can't wait for that issue to come out. I'll have to fly over Great Britain and drop copies all over the countryside."

"Ron…"

"You won't even be able to afford _one _copy, Weasley, let alone enough to supply Great Britain." Malfoy sneered back.

Ron's ears went red and he and Harry started around the table towards Malfoy. Ginny stood quickly.

"Now that's enough!" She said sternly, placing her hands on her hips and resembling Mrs. Weasley scarily. "Ron, Harry, I'll see you later."

Ron looked as if about to protest. Ginny pointed a finger towards the door. "Out!"

When they had left, Malfoy sat down across from Ginny. "Way to get rid—"

"Hush, you!" Malfoy fell silent and stared at Ginny intently across the table.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You called this meeting; I assumed you had something to tell me." Malfoy drawled.

"Oh…right…" Ginny flushed slightly. "Sorry…I got kind of got caught up…We hadn't had a chance to talk since Saturday…I figured you had more questions."

"How long have you been having these dreams?"

"Ever since the beginning of last year." Malfoy raised his eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Is there any immediate danger to you or do you just want to get rid of them?"

"I just want a peaceful night's sleep! I figured you might be some help to me in the research department…"

"I suppose I could help…do you think it could wait until after Christmas Break, though? I mean if there's no immediate danger…"

"Yeah…I guess it could wait…"

"Excellent." Malfoy stood.

"Where are _you _going?"

"Quidditch practice. We _do _have a game with the Gryffindors."

"After Christmas Break!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Why are you so hysterical? Want me to stay, do you?"

"Not necessarily, I just want something to do so I can put off my Potions essay for a good reason."

Malfoy grinned. "You can come watch me, if you like."

Ginny was astounded. Watch the Slytherin practice? "Really?"

Malfoy snorted. "Allow a Gryffindor at a Slytherin Quidditch practice? Not bloody likely!"

Ginny sighed and pulled her essay towards her as Malfoy walked away.

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Not a very good chapter, I apologize…I have a really good idea, but I didn't want to put it to use until after their Christmas Break. Next chapter: Hogsmeade!


	3. Hogsmeade Trip and Moody Malfoy

Ginny grabbed a piece of toast and headed out of the Great Hall to the front doors. She was running late and only had time to grab some food and go.

Harry and Ron were waiting for her. "Hey, sorry, I'm running a tad late, slept in and all…"

"S' ofay." Ron was still eating.

"Ready then?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded.

They made their way out to the thestral-pulled carriages.

Climbing in, Ginny noticed a glum looking Malfoy walking to the carriages. Her nosy nature gave her the urge to go see what was wrong, but then she remembered the two boys she was sitting with. Harry and Ron _never _asked her to go anywhere with them; _especially _now that this was their last year at Hogwarts.

They would be angry with her if she left them for Malfoy.

She figured she could go talk to him later; and as she thought this, the carriage lurched forward into motion, heading towards Hogsmeade.

-----------------------------------------

They browsed all morning, and Ginny finally found the perfect present Ron could give Hermione.

It was a little more than Ron had, but Ginny pooled some of her money with his and claimed it to be hisChristmas present from her.

Ron and Harry, laden with goodies from Honeydukes, were ready to head back, but Ginny wanted to stay a bit longer. She insisted they go if they want, because she had to find Harry's Christmas present anyways.

She was paging through the book _Famous Quidditch Games_ when she saw a streak of blonde hair from the corner of her eye.

Malfoy was in the aisle adjacent from hers. Ginny, curious, casually strolled over to him. "Hey, Malfoy."

He didn't look up. Instead he kept flipping through the book he was holding. "Hi." He didn't sound too happy.

"What's wrong?"

Malfoy snapped the book shut and looked up. "Nothing." He was trying to sound honest. It wasn't working.

Ginny glanced at the book he held in his hands: _My Life in the Service of the Dark Lord: the Tale of a Death Eater_.

Malfoy noticed this and quickly pulled it from her view. "What are you reading?" he questioned.

Ginny held up the book. "It's for Harry…for Christmas."

Malfoy nodded and glanced around.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You seem a bit…preoccupied. Something on your mind?" Ginny was pushing him to hard.

"I said I'm _fine_, Weasley." He growled. "Keep to your own business."

"I can tell that something's bothering you—"

"I said no. I'm. Fine." He hissed angrily.

Ginny was getting angry too. She _hated _it when people kept things from her. Ginny straightened and tried to put on a nonchalant expression. "Fine." She said curtly, and walked over to the counter to pay for the book.

-----------------------------------------

Ginny spent the time from supper to curfew in the library, looking through the dream books.

"It's almost curfew." Ginny looked up. Malfoy stood over her.

"I know." She sighed and closed the book, rubbing her temples.

"No luck?"

"I'm surprised you're speaking to me." Ginny said abruptly. She always _had _been one to say what was on her mind. "Why the change of attitude?"

"Don't snap at me like that, I was in a bad mood." Malfoy said quickly.

"I can tell you're _still _there." Ginny retorted. After a moment of silence she added. "Are you going home tomorrow?"

Malfoy shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. You?"

"I think I'm going to stay, do a bit of research." She patted the books in front of her.

"You better get back to your dorm, I'd love to deduct points from Gryffindor and I might just have to if you're out passed curfew."

Ginny stood and reduce the pile of books in front of her to the size of a matchbox. She then pushed them into her bag and took off, leaving Malfoy standing alone in the library.

She paused at the door. "I guess I'll see you after break then."

Malfoy nodded silently.

Ginny opened the door and looked back once more. After a slight hesitation she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear: "Happy Christmas, Malfoy…"

-----------------------------------------

Ginny hadn't had a dream since the run-in with Parker. She was rather thankful for this, as she had most of her Christmas vacation to relax.

She really _should _have been researching more than she had been, but she figured she would take the Christmas vacation, as well as the vacation from her dreams, to her advantage.

She was too quick to think, however. For the second she stopped thinking about not-dreaming, it happened again.

-----------------------------------------

_Ginny was dressed in an elegant crimson gown. She made her way through the crowd of people towards the refreshments._

_"Hello, __Virginia__." A voice sounded behind her. _

_She turned and smiled. "Oh, hello, __Lawrence__." _

_"You look lovely." He complimented._

_Ginny blushed. "Thank you." She took a sip of punch. "Are you having fun?"_

_Lawrence__ was about to answer when they were interrupted. _

_"Wonderful party, Virginia, Happy Christmas." Parker strolled over to Ginny and straightened upon seeing __Lawrence__. "Pleasant." He nodded._

_"Windom."_

_"Boys…" Ginny warned. "If you mean to brawl, take it outside please."_

_"I would never _dream _of hurting your precious __Lawrence__." Parker sneered._

_"Nor would I ever dream of hurting Windom." He spat back, then added: "In the presence of a woman, that is."_

_Parker started towards __Lawrence__ and Ginny grabbed his left arm and pulled him back. "Don't." she whispered._

_Parker pulled his arm away and strode off quickly, too quickly for Ginny's liking. _

_"One moment, __Lawrence__."_

_"__Virginia__." __Lawrence__ said quickly. She paused. "He can't be trusted. Watch yourself."_

_She nodded and followed Parker outside to the gardens._

_"Parker!" she called after him. He swung around._

_"Yes?" he sounded irritated._

_"What's wrong with you?"_

_  
"Nothing."_

_She made to take his hand but he turned his left side away from her. "I made a mistake in coming here."_

_Ginny stared at Parker. He couldn't have…he wouldn't…_

_She quickly grabbed Parker's left arm and yanked his sleeve up. "No!" Parker whispered._

_The world went silent and everything faded away as Ginny eyed the mar on his pale flesh. _

_"__Virginia__—"_

_"How could you?" she whispered._

_"I can explain—" he started._

_"Nothing can explain this." She threw his arm away from her and stumbled back. "In the ranks of the Dark Lord? I trusted you…" Ginny made her way back inside to the party quickly, ignoring Parker's attempts to call her back._

-----------------------------------------

_Ginny would later contend to take a walk in the gardens to clear her mind, and stop to hear a familiar voice. Parker's voice…_

_"Please, Master…"_

_"The girl knows too much. She could destroy you. You must take care of this." A cold voice hissed._

_There was a brief moment of silence, then Parker's voice sounded again. "Then __Virginia__ will die."_

_The world faded slowly around Ginny upon hearing these words, and blackness engulfed her._

-----------------------------------------

Ginny opened her eyes slowly to a dull light. She checked her watch. It was nearly 11:30!

Realization hit her all at once. _It's after curfew, fell asleep in the library, Parker has the Dark Mark, Parker means to kill me, Malfoy—_

Every thought stopped with that word. Malfoy. Malfoy could have the Dark Mark. Ginny shook her head. _He wouldn't_.

**_That's what you thought about Parker…_**Another voice sounded in her head.

_I trust Malfoy._

**_You trusted Parker._** The voice responded.

_Malfoy wouldn't hurt me._

**_Do I really need to be repetitious? THAT'S WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PARKER! Besides, it _is _Malfoy…and that's what Malfoy does…he hurts people._**

_We're friends._

**_You _think_ your friends._**

_He's not Parker! _Ginny thought forcefully.

There was a brief silence. **_In case you don't remember love, he is…_**

-----------------------------------------

Ho hum…all done! Have fun not reading anymore of this chapter because it's over!

Lawrence is meant to be Harry, by the way.

Okay…I'm not really that mean…

-----------------------------------------

Ginny rushed from the library silently. "How could I have fallen asleep?!"

She was only two hallways away from the library when she turned a corner and ran in to something rather solid.

"Oof!" she fell to the ground.

"It's past curfew." Malfoy sighed. "Five points from Gryffindor." He then bent down and helped her up.

Ginny eyed his hand for a second before accepting it.

"What are you doing out?"

"I fell asleep in the library."

"Well that explains your appearance." He sneered. "Well, partly."

He studied her and changed his tone. "Are you alright? Wait—did you…dream?"

Ginny didn't know what to do. She stood rooted to the spot, staring into Malfoy's eyes.

"Malfoy…" she said quietly. She took a step forward, closing the gap between their bodies considerably.

She took a hold of his hand and turned his wrist. Slowly, she pulled the cuff of his robe up, her eyes never leaving his. He didn't try to stop her.

When she had pulled his sleeve up to his elbow, she glanced down.

The world went silent and everything faded away as Ginny eyed the mar on his pale flesh.

She looked up and met the boy's icy gaze. The voice was right. Malfoy _was _Parker. But somehow, for some reason unknown, Ginny didn't feel an ounce of betrayal like she had with Parker Windom; and when she locked her eyes on his grey ones, they showed no fear or regret.

She didn't accuse him. She didn't get angry. Instead, she whispered quietly: "How long?"

"Over break."

She nodded slowly and laid a finger lightly over the mark. "That's why you were so…?"

"I got the letter that morning, from my father."

She hesitated, then looked up again. "Parker means to murder me."

She didn't have to explain the dream. "I know."

Ginny looked confused. "You…you do?"

"I was there, Weasley." He started slowly. "I was in your dream."

-----------------------------------------

Okay, now I'm _really _done because I have to go to work. That was a really long one…

Review please!


	4. Warning: Rated for abuse of Draco Malfoy

Why thank you Tilly Jeanne! (Or shall I say Patilaputra?)

--------------------------------------

_"I was there, Weasley." He started slowly. "I was in your dream."_

--------------------------------------

"You…" Ginny stared at Malfoy. "You were?"

He nodded. "You couldn't see me…or hear me…it was like I was in a pensieve."

So he saw her and Parker…

"I met Lawrence."

"Did you?"

"I don't like him."

Somehow, Ginny found herself able to smile. "I wouldn't expect you to."

"It's Potter, isn't it?"

"It is."

There was a silence, which was broken by a distant **_CRASH_**, and an even more distant: "PEEEEVES!"

There was another brief silence which was then broken by both parties trying to speak at once.

"Malfoy—"

"Listen Weasley—"

They both stopped abruptly. "Ladies first." Malfoy offered.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but the connection between her brain and her mouth was broken, and she couldn't say what she was thinking.

"I…"

Malfoy waited patiently.

"I trust you, Malfoy." She said quietly.

"Despite what Harry, Ron and Hermione say…what they try to warn me…I don't really believe…that you would…" she trailed off.

"If you're worried that I'm going to off you, you don't have to." Bluntness _was _always the Malfoy way, wasn't it?

"You're one of the few people I can stand around here, Weaslette. I would miss the abusive banter."

"As would I."

"I noticed…" he started, glancing up from his arm to meet Ginny's eyes. "Your reaction to Parker…"

Ginny met his gaze.

"What's the difference? I thought Parker was modeled after me?"

Ginny thought on this for a moment before responding. "It's like…'I want to catch a small puppy' in French gets translated to: 'I want to shag a small dog' in English."

Malfoy looked confused. "And that random fact came from…?"

"Something gets lost in translation. You and Parker aren't exact carbon copies. _You're_ real to me,_ he's_ the threat."

There was another loud crash and another "PEEEEVES! JUST WAIT UNTIL THE HEADMASTER HEARS ABOUT THIS! PEEEVES! GET BACK HERE!" Filch was getting closer.

"We better get to our respected dorms." Malfoy whispered. "Before Filch catches us. Even the Head Boy isn't allowed out this late."

The nodded their goodbyes and silently ran their separate ways.

--------------------------------------

Ginny had a stitch in her side by the time she got back to the Fat Lady portrait.

_What luck! _She thought. _Asleep!_

Ginny lightly knocked on the painting's frame and the Fat Lady startled awake.

"I swear, mum, the cat _fell _into the toilet!" she murmured suddenly. "Oh, it's _you_. Password?"

"Gingersnaps."

The portrait swung open and Ginny climbed inside quietly, ignoring the Fat Lady's mumblings about "Young whelps gallivanting at all hours of the night".

She had just pulled on her new night robe, her Christmas gift from Harry, and fallen onto her bed when sleep encircled her.

--------------------------------------

_She was walking around the lake near her manor when she heard someone approach behind her._

_"Evening, __Virginia__."_

_Ginny stiffened slightly. "Windom." She nodded._

_"I can explain about—"_

_"You don't have to. I understand perfectly." she tried not to sound harsh. She didn't want to make him angry…especially knowing what he planned to do. _

_To him she appeared relaxed, but Ginny was on guard inside, not letting any of Parker's movements go unnoted. _

_"You're not angry with me, then?" he sounded surprised._

_"Not in the least. I was just…nervous…and scared."_

_"I wouldn't hurt you, Virginia." _

_"Liar…" a voice growled next to Ginny and she jumped. "Malfoy?!"_

_"What?" Parker questioned._

_Ginny looked next to her, then back to Parker. _

_"He can't see me…I didn't even know you could."_

_"N-nothing." She stammered. "I'm quite tired, however, so if you don't mind I think I'll just retire for the evening."_

_"Not at all." He gave her a bow. "Sweet dreams, Virginia."_

_"Y-yes, you too." Ginny turned and quickly made her way back to her room, Malfoy in tow behind her._

--------------------------------------

_She didn't speak until her bedroom door was shut safely behind her._

_"What are you doing here?"_

_  
"What, don't want me here?"_

_"No, I just…how did you get here?"_

_  
Malfoy gave a half-hearted shrug. "How did I get here last time?"_

_"How come I can see and hear you?"_

_"Why are you asking me this? I don't bloody know!"_

_Ginny sighed. "You're obviously here for a reason."_

_"Maybe I was sent to protect you." He offered up._

_Ginny waved the suggestion away. "No offense, Malfoy, but being the valiant hero isn't really your thing, is it?"_

_"Maybe I'm meant to kill Parker." He slouched into a chair near her bed._

_Ginny watched him for a moment before strolling over and slapping him hard across the face._

_  
At least, she would have, if her hand hadn't gone right through him._

_"Hey!" he stood his tone full of indignation. "That could have really hurt!"_

_"How are you supposed to kill him if no one can touch you?" she questioned._

_"I…oh…" he sat back down. He touched his cheek. "I still don't appreciate that."_

_  
"Shut up, Malfoy, I'm thinking." She snapped._

_Malfoy sighed in an over-exaggerated manner and Ginny scowled at him._

_"I'm going to bed." She pronounced after a minute. _

_"What? What am I supposed to do?"_

_Ginny pulled out a nightgown. "Turn around."_

_  
Malfoy sighed and turned away from Ginny. "I'm not happy about this, Weasley."_

_"Well I never invited you here, did I, so how do you think I feel?"_

_"Miss Weasley, I was wondering if—oh my! I'm sorry; I didn't know you 'ad a company, ma'am." The door opened to reveal Charise._

_"It's quite alright Char—wait a minute…" she turned from Charise to a very stunned Malfoy, back to Charise. "You can see him?"_

_Charise blushed slightly. "Well yes ma'am, why wouldn't I?"_

_Ginny's mouth fell. "Come in, Charise, quickly. Shut the door behind you, yes that's right. Come here."_

_Charise slowly made her way over to Ginny. _

_"I would like you to do something for me, would you do that Charise?"_

_"I'm in your service, ma'am, I 'ave to do whatever you wish."_

_"Yes, yes…" Ginny mumbled. "This is Draco Malfoy."_

_"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Malfoy." Charise curtsied and Malfoy nodded to her. _

_"Hit him."_

_"What?" Charise asked in amazement._

_"Yeah, what?!" Malfoy repeated._

_"Trust me, Charise; you will not be punished in any way. Just give him a good slap."_

_Charise slapped Malfoy's arm. _

_"Ouch!" Malfoy held his arm and Ginny squealed. _

_"Do it again!"_

_Charise smiled and hit Malfoy again, harder. She was liking this game._

_"Ouch! Cut it out!" Malfoy stood and scurried away from the maid._

_Ginny was beaming. "That's all, Charise, thank you."_

_Charise nodded and left the room._

_"Do you know what this means, Malfoy?"_

_"That you have someone to use against me?"_

_"No, you dolt. …Well…yes, but besides that."_

_  
Malfoy sighed, still rubbing his arm. "No, what?"_

_  
"Wake up."_

_  
"What?"_

_  
"We have to wake up. We're going to the kitchens."_

_Malfoy looked at Ginny strangely. "Why?"_

_Ginny smiled in such a way that even Malfoy was disturbed by it._

_"We're going to visit Winky."_

--------------------------------------

Wow, that was the longest dream I've ever had…three and a half pages!

I hope this chapter was okay…I wasn't quite sure where to go from last time…

By the way, that really is what, "I want to catch a small puppy." translates into in English!

**Tell ya what, let's make a deal:** If you promise to **review**, I promise to think really hard and **_update really soon_** Do we have an accord?


	5. Death Date

Sooo sorry it took me so long! (Well….no…I'm not actually)

Well here it is:

-

Ginny met Malfoy outside the painting of the fruit bowl, as they had agreed in the dream.

"Morning, Malfoy."

"Just get on with it, Weasley, I'm tired."

Ginny rolled her eyes and tickled the silver pear. It promptly turned into a doorknob and she opened the painting/door.

"I still don't see why this couldn't wait until morning." Malfoy sounded annoyed.

"Between breakfast, classes, lunch, classes, supper, homework, bed and sleeping?" Ginny turned to look at Malfoy. "No, it's better to get this done now."

She turned and entered the kitchens, becoming completely surrounded by house elves in an instant.

"How can Tibby serve you this morning?"

"Does misses want some coffee? Tea? Tilly makes good hot chocolate!"

"Miss Weasley!"

Ginny smiled as she spotted the elf she was looking for. "Hello, Winky. I…need to talk to you…privately…"

Winky nodded in understanding. "Yes, yes, just follow Winky."

Ginny took a few steps, but paused as she heard Malfoy's commanding voice.

"You there, short one, get me some coffee. And you, yes you, the one with the beard, get me some tea cake will you? And hurry! Be a good little thing and go get me some toast and marmalade, will you Tubby?"

"Tibby, sirs." The small elf corrected him timidly.

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing Tabby….what?" Malfoy questioned Ginny upon seeing the incredulous look plastered on her face.

Ginny shook her head. "You…are impossible." She turned to follow Winky once more. "Stay and stuff your face if you want, I think this has a lot to do with you though."

Ginny her Malfoy's usual over-exaggerated sigh as he fell in step behind her.

Winky led them through the kitchens to a room in the back. The door was quite small, being meant for house elves, and Ginny and Malfoy had to get on their hands and knees to get through it.

"Well…." Malfoy half-breathed as he stood and dusted himself off. "I wish I would have known we would be crawling on the ground….I wouldn't have worn my _Persian silk_ robes."

"Shh. Winky…have you been having any….dreams lately?"

Winky's eyes widened as she nodded.

"For how long?"

Winky shook her head. "Winky couldn't say, very, very long time…"

"Winky…did you dream tonight?"

"Winky did, Miss Weasley."

"Was Malfoy in your dream?"

Winky nodded once more.

"And in your dream…you could touch him, hurt him."

"Yes ma'am."

"Why is that?"

Winky shrugged. "Winky isn't knowing! Winky is always being able to touch things."

Ginny smiled. "But I couldn't touch Malfoy…and Parker couldn't see or hear him."

Winky's eyes darkened at the mention of Parker's name. "Miss Weasley should be staying far away from Mister Parker…Miss Weasley isn't knowing what he is up to!"

"Weasley knows—er, I know, Winky. I know what he's planning. Which is why we need to figure out how you can touch Malfoy."

"Winky is having an idea! Winky is being able touching Mister Malfoy because Winky is having house elves magic! Winky does!" Winky jumped up and down.

Malfoy crouched down and stuck his head out the door. "Where's my tea cake!"

Ginny sidled over and swept his leg with her foot, causing him to loose his balance and fall backwards. "Oops."

Malfoy glared up at Ginny.

Ginny smiled innocently, then looked aghast and turned to Winky. "Winky! That wasn't polite at all! Why did you do that to Malfoy?"

Winky looked horrified. "Winky didn't Miss! Winky didn't! Winky is just standing here and—"

Ginny smiled. "It's okay, Winky, I was only joking. Everybody knows an elephant tightrope walking two hundred feet in the air has more grace than a Malfoy." Ginny shot Malfoy a nasty grin.

He pretended he either didn't hear, or didn't care. Whichever it was supposed to be, he wasn't acting his part very well. "Can we get on with it please?"

"So you have special powers…that makes sense…"

"So you know what Parker is up to…know any more useful information?" Malfoy questioned.

Winky shifted her weight uncomfortably and looked to the ground. "No sirs…Winky is knowing nothing else."

Ginny and Malfoy exchanged a glance. Ginny felt the elf might know more than she was leading on, but decided not to push just then. "We should be getting back. Thanks for you time, Winky."

"Yes, Miss, Sirs, Winky isn't having much to do at this time of night."

"See you later, Winky." Ginny departed.

Malfoy nodded to the elf and followed Ginny out, ignoring the three house elves that circled him with various foods.

-

"That was interesting…" Malfoy concluded as they walked towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"Mmhmm…" Ginny nodded.

"What are you thinking?"

"It's nothing…just…" Ginny stopped walking. "….nothing…" she thought better of speaking and continued on.

Malfoy followed her wordlessly until they came for the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"See you at breakfast then." Malfoy began to walk away.

"Malfoy…" Ginny started. He turned.

Ginny took a deep breath. How was she supposed to say it out loud? In her head it sounded just fine…but actually saying it to someone…to Malfoy of all people…

Ginny took another deep breath. "Winky knew something else. I'm sure of it. And I think…I think…."

Malfoy walked back to Ginny. "What?"

"I think…" she said for the third time. "…I _know _that…" Ginny looked down, afraid of the ridicule she might find in Malfoy's eyes. "…something's coming…" she finished quietly.

Malfoy didn't answer, waiting for her to go on.

"Something big…it's coming…I can feel it and…I'm…_scared_….I'm actually _scared_…I knew…I knew a long time ago that there would be a war…eventually…and…I think it's actually closer than any of us could know…it's…soon…coming soon….something big, huge…" Ginny fell silent and looked up to meet Malfoy's eyes.

She found no ridicule. "Weasley…" Malfoy ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "We're all scared, Weasley…it's the war…the_ ultimate _war…trepidation can only be expected."

Ginny was shaking slightly. It wasn't cold. Malfoy studied her for a moment before continuing.

"This…" he gestured to his arm, "This doesn't change a bloody thing between us. Enemy or not…no harm will come to you…not by my hand…"

Ginny was still shaking. She felt the fearful tears she repressed for so long swelling up in her eyes. She couldn't let him see her cry…instead to looked to the ground and studied the cracks in the stone.

Malfoy raised his hand slowly and held it in the air for a moment before bringing it to a rest on Ginny's shoulder. She looked up as a tear slid down her cheek.

"No matter what happens…who wins and loses…who fights who…not by my hand, Gin, never."

Ginny stared into Malfoy's eyes, searching for some sign of deception. She found none. She nodded slowly.

"Get some sleep, Weasley." Malfoy straightened and began to turn. "You're about ten seconds from another point deduction."

Ginny nodded. "Gingersnaps…"

Ginny had five hours left of the night. She didn't dream.

-

To go on or not to go on…that is the question…

Eh…I suppose I can work my brain a little more tonight, since it's been so long…

-

As scared as Ginny was when she was talking to Malfoy, it was nothing that compared to what she felt the next morning at breakfast.

"What's going on?" Ginny questioned the silent Gryffindor table as she took a seat across from Hermione.

Hermione was frowning, reading the Daily Prophet. She handed her copy to Ginny.

**Contact by You-Know-Who Confirms War Rumors**

"What's this?" Ginny looked up nervously.

"Keep reading." Hermione sighed.

Ginny did.

_'The Ministry is buzzing with anticipation and trepidation as they await Fudge's statement to the press._

_Last night, Cornelius Fudge reported to Albus Dumbledore in the wee hours of the morning that he had been contacted by You-Know-Who by owl just minutes after he went to bed. Fudge claims that the letter stated that You-Know-Who and his army were ready, and that it wouldn't be long before their strike. He goes on to tell Fudge to "round up his pathetic troops and prepare for the worst" as "a date will soon be set, a meeting held, and there will be war."_

_No one knows quite for sure if this was actually a true letter from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or a prank letter sent by some bored hooligans. We quote Cornelius Fudge: "The letter had to be real, it had to be, because moments after I finished reading it, it burst into green flames, and the ashes that fell to the ground greatly resembled the Dark Mark. No kids could have cast a spell that powerful or precise."_

_So there you have it. A true letter from You-Know-Who, or teenagers fooling around? Immediate war or extreme punishment? Is the end drawing near? Or are some kids getting a good laugh at the madness they've inspired? You be the judge.'_

Ginny dropped the newspaper in front of her. She was shaking violently. She brought her gaze up from the picture of Fudge at a podium and drew them across the Great Hall. Malfoy was also looking her way, and by the look in his eyes she knew that he believed every word she spoke the night before.

Hermione looked at Ginny, and then turned around in her seat at Malfoy. She turned back to Ginny, frowned, obviously annoyed, and picked up her fork.

"I…." Ginny couldn't stop shaking. "I can't eat." She stood and walked out of the Great Hall as quickly as she could without freaking out and drawing too much attention. She still held the attention of a Slytherin, however, for Malfoy followed her out and caught up with her halfway down the corridor.

"Weasley." Ginny stopped.

"I…I just…and…Merlin…" Ginny slumped against the wall, her hands clutching her hair. "I can't…take this much longer…I'm going to go insane."

"You're not going to go insane, Weasley, calm down. Bloody hell, woman." Malfoy watched Ginny for a moment and sighed. He put an arm around her. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Dumbledore's office."

Ginny stopped. "No."

"Weasley—"

"If we go to Dumbledore we'll have to tell him everything. _Everything_. Do you really want him to know…." She trailed off and glanced down at his arm.

Malfoy shifted his weight. "Good point." There was a period of silence before either of them spoke. "We have to do _something _about this…"

"And what can we do, Malfoy? Tell me that, please, I need to know what I can do."

Malfoy shook his head. "I…" he sighed. "…don't know. But I know how scared you are…imagine my surprise when I picked up the paper this morning. After last night…"

Ginny sighed, closing her eyes. "How do we fight this? How long is it going to be before……how soon is soon?"

"We can't know, Weasley. That's the point…until it comes…"

"A meeting will be held…a date set…what's that supposed to mean?"

Malfoy was silent for a moment. His lips moved vaguely, never really forming words, and slowly he nodded to himself. "They're going to set a date. They are going to meet, like one would for a peace treaty, and they're going to set a date to fight…"

"A death date…"

-

Okay, now I REALLY don't have anything left in my head…night y'all…


	6. Crossing the Line

Better write a bit more…

-

Weeks passed and nothing happened. Ginny waited for someone to jump out and go "Boo!" and start the war, but it never happened. Ginny didn't even dream anymore.

And now it was spring, and the Summer Holidays were only a month away. The answer to all the wondering came one day at breakfast, with the morning flood of owls.

Ginny looked up. "The owls are earlier than usual…" she muttered, glancing at her watch. "By at least a half hour…'

Four owls swooped down and dropped newspapers all around her. She took Harry's copy when he wasn't looking.

The article was short, and the headline read simply:

**War Date Set**

Ginny continued.

_'Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore recently met with You-Know-Who privately to set the date for The War. It is to take place this coming June 3rd, the battlefield set for the fields and mountains surrounding Hogsmeade village. When asked for a quote, Dumbledore responded, "I urge the students of Hogwarts, no matter _how_ old, not to get involved." While Fudge could be quoted muttering, "He's very tall…"'_

"The first day of summer break!" Ginny gasped out loud. "Why then?"

Harry took the paper and scanned it over. "I suppose Dumbledore made him wait until all the kids were away from Hogwarts."

Ginny stared off silently, thinking everything over in her head. _One month…one month and everything is going to change…everything…Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mom, Dad…who knows what will happen to them? Lupin, Tonks, Fred, George, Charlie, Malfoy—_

Ginny's head snapped up. That was…strange…When naming off her family Draco Malfoy just suddenly popped into her head…and isn't it fascinating that all of the despair that she had felt the past few months, all the pain and angst she felt when she thought of loosing her family was multiplied a million times when she thought of him getting hurt…how very odd…

And as if he were thinking about her in the exact same way, Ginny felt herself being watched, and she drew her eyes over to the Slytherin table. Pansy and Millicent were talking rapidly, and no doubt Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were plotting their strategies right there at the breakfast table. Draco Malfoy was staring at Ginny in such a way it made her want to shiver. When she stared back into his eyes she could see his concern…his _fear_…but if it were anyone else, Harry or Ron, or any of his friends watching him, he would have been silently telling her that she and her love ones were going to die, and it was him that was going to do it.

_Not by my hand, Gin, never…_

He had called her "Gin", something Ginny had failed to realize until that very instant. Ginny gathered every emotion inside her and tried to reciprocate the look he was giving her, and the genuineness he put behind it, but from the bolt of amusement that flashed through his eyes Ginny knew she had failed horribly. Instead she slightly jerked her head in the direction of the doors. He nodded slightly. A Slytherin nudged him and said something that put the whole table in an uproar. Malfoy laughed and joked along with them.

Ginny alerted her friends and dismissed herself, calmly walking out the doors and leaning against the wall to wait for Malfoy.

He exited the Great Hall a few minutes later.

"Hey" he walked over to her with his hands stuffed deep into his robe pockets. Ginny naturally folded her arms.

"Hi."

"You want to walk?" he suggested.

Ginny nodded and they began to aimlessly walk along random corridors.

"So…" Malfoy tried to make conversation.

"So…" Ginny repeated. "One month…"

"Yeah…"

"Are you nervous?" Ginny already knew the answer, but Malfoy seemed reluctant to let her know anyways.

"Aren't you?" he retorted after a minute.

"Yeah…" Ginny sighed. "I won't last that long…I mean…when you think about it—"

"You don't know that…you'd be surprised…"

There was a stretch of semi-comfortable silence and Ginny and Malfoy found themselves at the stairs to the Astronomy Tower.

When Ginny was sitting on the floor, her back to the wall and Malfoy was above her, balancing on the open ledge, the conversation continued.

"I don't know what's going to happen…but as long as I can…as long as I'm alive…I'll do my best to protect you…"

"And how will that look to your fellow Death Eaters?" Ginny turned her head and glanced up at him.

"Who cares?"

"Won't be good for morale…you might get your Master angry with you…"

"He gets angrier for less." Was all Malfoy said to this.

There was more silence, and Ginny closed her eyes as a gentle breeze wafted through the tower.

"Malfoy….Draco…" Ginny corrected herself. "Do you...consider us, you know…friends?"

Malfoy didn't answer her. When she opened her eyes to ask him again he was crouching in front of her.

He looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know the words to say it. And he looked like he wished he were anywhere but there, in this compromising position, because he was afraid of what he might say or do.

What he might do…

Malfoy leaned in and brushed his lips lightly against Ginny's. When he pulled away, Ginny blushed.

"What was that?" she asked dumbly.

Amusement danced in Malfoy's eyes. "That, Weasley, was called a kiss."

Ginny blushed harder. "Y-yes…but why…"

Malfoy shrugged. "Because I wanted to." He turned and sat down next to her. "Because…I didn't know any other way to answer your question…because I don't quite know what I consider us…"

Ginny nodded.

"Did I cross the line?"

Ginny grinned. "Oh trust me, Malfoy, if you had crossed the line, you would know it."

-

Sorry this is so dang short, but I _did _update (twice in one night), and they _did _kiss so…yeah…


	7. Back to the Rivalry

I just checked my email and I had like 6 reviews, thanks all!

-

It was the night before the last morning of Hogwarts, and Ginny and Draco arranged to meet in the Astronomy Tower after supper, as they often did since the day he had kissed her on a mere whim. And, much to Ginny's dismay, he hadn't kissed her since.

"I just figured…"

"Figured what?" Malfoy questioned.

"My life completely sucks."

Malfoy grinned. "How so?"

"Well…like…my stupid hair, for one." Ginny replied, tugging at a few strands.

"And your stupid brothers." Malfoy added.

"These stupid freckles…"

"Your stupid brothers…"

"And that stupid thing I'm supposed to call my house!"

"And having to share that stupid thing with your stupid brothers…"

Ginny sighed. "And my stupid brothers."

"You don't have it all that bad though, kiddo." Malfoy said after a minute of contemplation.

"One, don't call me kiddo. Two, how do you figure?"

"Well…your hair is a vibrant red, granted, but it's straight and smooth, not a tangled mess like Granger's."

Malfoy looked over to Ginny who eventually nodded in agreement.

"And…_I_ think your freckles are endearing."

Ginny snorted.

"I may have a mansion of a house, but it's cold, and empty, and I haven't even seen a good two thirds of it. Your little shack is full of warm homemade meals by your mum, and full of people that care about you. ...even if most of them consist of your stupid brothers."

"I suppose…" Ginny agreed. "It's almost curfew…I should get going."

Malfoy shook his head. "I won't deduct points if you stay longer, as I enjoy your company, and it being the last night of school…."

Ginny smiled as her cheeks tinged with red. "Thanks."

Malfoy nodded and leaned back against the wall.

Ginny shivered. "It's getting cold…"

A look crossed Malfoy's face that quickly portrayed what he was thinking. '**She's cold…am I supposed to do something chivalrous? Should I pull her closer? Give her my cloak? Make a fire? ….bloody hell….eenie meenie minee moe…'**

Malfoy pulled his cloak off and passed it to her.

Ginny's face was Gryffindor red, but she accepted the cloak and thanked him.

The two of them sat in silence for the longest time until another cold breeze encircled them.

Malfoy moved closer to Ginny and waited until her eyes met his.

When they did, he leaned over slowly, his lips moving dangerously close to hers, but instead diverting to her ear.

"It's not too late you know…" he whispered softly. "There's still time to join us."

Malfoy pulled back and looked into Ginny's eyes once more. She quickly averted them, shaking her head softly.

"You know I couldn't."

"You won't win…you can't, we're too powerful."

"Maybe…" she answered after a minute. "I guess I don't have the luxury of having no doubts that my side will win…"

"Well you would if you just—"

"Why are you pushing this?" Ginny cut in. "You know I can't, _won't_, so why waste breath trying to persuade me?"

Malfoy wasn't discouraged by her interruption. Instead he gave her a knowing smirk. "I continue to badger you, because I know that you want to…just like you know it. Some part of you wants to…just like some part of you wants me."

"I, unlike _some _people, do not lust after everything I desire."

"So you admit it then?" Malfoy's smirk grew.

"Do you?"

Malfoy either regarded the question as rhetorical or just didn't want to answer. Either way he stayed silent, staring hard into Ginny's eyes.

"Well?" she probed.

"I…don't know." Malfoy evaded.

Now Ginny smirked.

"Stop that."

"What, trying to get you to admit that you like me?"

"No, smirking. Stop smirking, it's creeping me out."

"I promise to stop smirking if you answer truthfully."

"Answer what?" Malfoy acted dumb.

"Malfoy…"

"Fine! Whatever! I bloody like you, okay? And I have for quite some time! And the reason I part of me doesn't want to fight is because I don't want to hurt you!"

Malfoy fell silent, and Ginny didn't speak.

"But you said…"

"I know what I said, Weasley…" he began, trying to calm himself after his outburst. "But I don't have to hurt _you _physically to hurt you."

Ginny thought on this and nodded after a moment. "I understand…I mean, I understand that you have to…because it's your job…just like it's my job to hurt you and yours."

"No offense, Weasley, but aside from a mean Bat-Bogie Hex you couldn't harm any of the Death Eaters if your life depended on it…which it does…and that's also what scares me…"

There was more silence and Malfoy spoke again. "While you and yours are disarming and stunning us, we'll be killing and torturing."

"…._we_'ll?"

"…it's what I'm trained to do, Weasley…I thought you understood that."

"I do, it's just…I should go…It's really late." Ginny stood and stepped toward the door.

Malfoy's hand closed on her wrist in a tight but non-painful grip.

"I can't let you leave this room until you promise me, _promise_ me, that I will be forgiven if I have to hurt your friends."

Ginny's brown eyes met his icy silver ones coldly. "Well it's all you've done for the past seven years…why should a few days time be any different?"

Ginny turned and tried to pull her arm free, but Malfoy tightened his grip. "Please."

Ginny stopped the tug-a-war and turned to Malfoy upon hearing the plea in his voice. It was a first, at least for Ginny. Here stood Draco Malfoy, _begging_ her not to hate him.

He held her gaze for the longest time before dropping his eyes and sighing. "Look just…let me at least walk you to your Common Room."

Ginny nodded, and Malfoy followed her down the winding staircase, and pulled up next to her as they walked through the endless corridors.

The walk was an uncomfortably silent one, and both parties were relieved when the portrait of the Fat Lady was in sight.

"Spunkerdoodle." Ginny mumbled, and the portrait swung open. Malfoy stopped Ginny from entering.

:"Just give me two minutes."

Ginny sighed and allowed Malfoy to pull her away from the portrait and over to a different piece of wall to which she crossed her arms and leaned against impatiently.

Malfoy opened his mouth to speak and raised his hands to gesture, but couldn't find the words.

Instead he stepped forward and placed his hands on the wall around Ginny, pinning her but leaving space between their bodies.

"I don't want to do this." He said at long last. "I don't want to fight you."

"I'm just a girl, what does it matter?"

"You're not…just a girl you're…different. Any other Gryffindor, I wouldn't care but you…you're my friend."

"Says who?"

Malfoy closed the space between them and pushed his lips to Ginny's. He swiftly broke the kiss as quick as he started it and sighed. "You can be such a fool, Weasley."

Ginny remained silent, stunned. Malfoy continued to inch his way forward. "Please…just…come with me tomorrow…come with us…just let me take you."

"I can't—"

"You'll die!"

"Then I'll die for what I believe, just like you will if _you _die!"

Malfoy kissed Ginny one last time, letting his lips linger longer than they should have. Ginny kissed him back.

When they parted, there was a mixture of regret and annoyance in Draco's eyes.

"Goodnight, Weasley." He said curtly, turning and walking away quickly.

Ginny knew he was out of earshot, but whispered it anyways.

"Goodnight, Draco."

-

Ginny had a dream that night, but it wasn't like they usually were. It was strange, disoriented, like someone had switched her world with some upside down one.

_"__Virginia__…"_

_"__Lawrence__?"_

_  
"I'm leaving…come with me please…"_

_"__Lawrence__…I can't…"_

_Lawrence__ stood in front of Ginny, pleading with her to go with him._

_"Please don't be angry…" But __Lawrence__ faded away before she could say it._

_Ginny turned around and around as the ballroom she was standing in spun away. When she too stopped spinning, she was in a barren wasteland._

_"__Virginia__." A cold voice startled her. She spun around._

_"I've been waiting for you, Virginia…waiting to give you your gift…"_

_"My…my gift?"_

_"I have to go." Parker too began to fade. "I guess you'll never get it…"_

_"Parker?__ Parker!"_

_All around Ginny there was shouting and crying, but she was completely deserted. Ginny was scared. She began to run in any direction that would take her. _

_A hand on her wrist stopped her, and Ginny spun around. "Lawre—"_

_Lawrence pulled her into a passionate kiss, holding her there for an eternity and a split second all at once before he was gone._

_"__Lawrence__Lawrence__, come back! I love you!"_

_"What about me?" Parker was back. Ginny was getting confused. __Lawrence__? Loved __Lawrence_

_"What am I compared to your _precious Lawrence_?" Parker spat his name._

_"Parker, don't be angry…you scare me and I love __Lawrence__…" Love __Lawrence__? When the bloody hell did _that _come about?_

_An ear-splitting shriek sounded just feet from Ginny, though no one was there and she shut her eyes and covered her ears. She opened them to find people swirling all around her. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Voldemort, Dumbledore, a handful of Death Eaters…they were all swirling around her, shooting spells and dodging them._

_"Stop!__ Stop it, please! STOP FIGHTING!" Ginny screamed with all her might, but no one could hear her…_

_Ginny woke as Parker's lifeless body hit the ground._

-

Ginny numbly walked down to breakfast the next day, still interpreting her latest dream. She entered the Great Hall to the usual loud chatter and found her seat in a daze.

She gave the Slytherin table frequent glances all through the meal, but it seemed Malfoy refused to look at her, and when she and Harry both reached for the sausages and brushed skin she thought about Lawrence and her dream and blushed.

She left breakfast early, waiting just outside the big doors for Malfoy.

He came out not too long after her, in a cloud of Slytherins.

"Malfoy." She called to him.

The chattering Slytherins silenced themselves and turned to her slowly. Malfoy gave her a sneer.

"What do _you _want, Weasley?"

"I need to talk to you." She said simply. When the group didn't move she added: "Alone."

They remained where they stood.

"I wouldn't waste my time or breath talking with a meaningless Gryffindor such as yourself, Weasley. Anything you think I need to hear can be said on the battlefield tomorrow."

He caught Ginny off-guard with the menace and hatred in his voice, and Malfoy seemed delighted that he had stunned her speechless.

Ginny tried to suppress a small smile. She had him with this one. "Meaningless? That's not what you said last night. I thought I was….._different_…" she mocked him.

"Last night? I don't know where _you_ were, Weasley, but _I_ was with Parkinson last night…" he gave Pansy a meaningful look and she smiled shyly.

Ginny wanted to be sick.

"See you tomorrow then, Ferret-face."

"Looking forward to it, Weasel."

Ginny turned from the group of snickering seventh years and stalked outside, sitting on the steps.

"Stupid git…" she muttered as she picked up a stone and chucked it at the ground. "Bloody jerk."

"You forgot handsome devil." A voice sighed beside her.

Ginny looked up to see Hermione making herself comfortable on the cold stone. "And immoral sleaze and insolent prat."

Ginny found herself able to smile. "Handsome devil?" she questioned.

Hermione grinned and crossed her arms. "Git or not, one has to admit that Draco Malfoy is the top of our school…not that I really pay attention to that sort of stuff." She added quickly.

"Of course not." Ginny agreed, suppressing a smile of her own. "He's just so…_infuriating _sometimes!"

"Yeah…"

"But then he's also sweet, and funny, and at sometimes, though rarely, insightful."

"I was right, wasn't I?" Hermione asked her seriously.

Ginny sighed. "Stupid or not, divinations is really your thing. You saw it even before Lavender and Parvati."

Hermione just shrugged, seeming reluctant to utter the words 'I told you so' to her friend at a time like this.

"Is it…wrong to want to be with someone that's…for the opposing cause?"

"Well I don't know…I guess not…I mean…I believe in _making _gifts to show someone you care about them, while one Ronald _Weasley_ feels it's better to get his _sister_ to pick something out." Hermione's grinned faded after a moment of silence. "…but when lives…even if it's not your own, are at stake…then I really don't know…"

"You're supposed to be the smart one…the know-it-all…" Ginny commented.

"Books…facts…magic…I know it all. But when it comes to life and love…there couldn't be a more clueless person."

"I'm not in love! I _never _said the word love, did you hear the 'L' word pass my lips? No…I said 'want to be with', okay? Love and 'want to be with' and two totally separate things." Ginny blurted.

"Well how can you do either if you can't stand the person?" The thestral-pulled carriages pulled up and Hermione stood. "I'm sorry this is hard for you…but it's one of those things that you're just going to have to work out by yourself…" she added sadly, turning and walking to one of the carriages.

A few minutes later Ron and Harry walked out. "Where's Hermione?" Harry questioned.

Ginny pointed to the carriage Hermione had chosen silently.

But when Ginny stood to join them Ron stopped her. "Sorry sis, last day of the last year and all, we'd kind of like to have some privacy. You understand, don't you?" They didn't give Ginny time to answer.

Glumly she sat down again. _Parker is dead…and Lawrence…__Virginia__ loves __Lawrence__…and __Lawrence__ is Harry…so…so I love Harry? _"I'm so confused!" Ginny growled through gritted teeth.

"Step one: Choose a carriage. Step two: Sit in it."

"Shove off, Malfoy, I don't feel like listening to your hype right now." Ginny hissed.

He didn't listen to her. Instead he sat down next to her and sighed. "You can't corner me in a big group like that, Weasley."

"Why do you care? I'm meaningless, right?"

"I said last night—"

"Last night? Last night? We didn't even see each other last night…you must be confusing _me_ for _Parkinson_."

"Weasley…" Malfoy sighed. Ginny stood and began walking away but turned.

"You know what?" She paused as a group of Slytherins exited the castle. "Never mind, here come your cronies, you guys had better go catch a carriage before they fill up."

And with that she walked off in search of a carriage, finally settling for one with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.

"Hey, Ginny." Neville waved as she clambered into the carriage. "What are you doing?"

"Umm…sitting?" Ginny inquired.

"These seats are taken…" Luna responded dreamily. "Sorry…"

"That's okay." Ginny replied through gritted teeth, trying simultaneously to sound cheery and nonchalant. She hoped her smile didn't look too much like she wanted to hang them by their own innards. "I'll find another one."

She stepped off the carriage and sighed. She _really _didn't want to get stuck with the lower years…

"Having trouble?" an all-too-familiar voice sounded from the carriage in front.

"Just can't decide who to sit with." Ginny tried to play it cool. 'Tried' is probably the key word there.

"Right…" Malfoy chuckled as he stepped out of the carriage and strolled over to her.

"I just can't get rid of you can I? You're like a cockroach that won't die!"

"_Or_ a cockroach with an extra seat in his carriage…" he replied smoothly. "That might be willing to let someone in."

"Like I'd want to sit with _you_." Ginny replied.

"Look around, Weasley. There aren't any carriages left, are there?"

Ginny glanced down the line and did indeed see that other students were moving from carriage to carriage looking for seating.

Ginny sighed deeply at the look of smug satisfaction on Malfoy's face. "Fine." She followed Malfoy to his carriage. "But _any _comments like the ones you made inside and I'll hex you into oblivion."

"Right." He agreed, his smile slowly growing bigger. "No comments."

-

Ginny stayed silent during the ride to the train, but groaned when she realized she would have to share a compartment with Malfoy also.

"I'm hurt, Weasley…" he faked a sad tone. "Don't you like me anymore?"

Ginny didn't respond. Instead she flopped down onto the seat across from Malfoy and stared out the window.

Sparse comments turned into a blazing conversation of the battle to come.

"I know the perfect way to single them out…you know, get them away from groups. See, we—" Blaise fell silent upon remembering Ginny's presence. He eyed her warily. _She _rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about Weasley." Malfoy assured him. "She's semi-cool anyways…" he threw her a dirty grin. "Even if she _is _close-minded."

Ginny heaved a sigh. "I already told you, Malfoy, I'm not going to join you!"

"Fine, fine, don't have to get angry about it…" Malfoy grumbled.

"Get angry? Get angry? Why would I get angry? That's just my _friends and family_ you'll be murdering, but no, I don't see that as a reason to _get bloody angry_!"

Malfoy smirked. Stupid smirk. "You could always—"

"That's it!" Ginny gave up, standing. "I give up! I'll go sit on someone's _lap _if I have to! Better than bloody being in here!" Ginny slammed the door shut on her way out, making both the compartment door and windows shudder.

-

Ginny saw no sign of Malfoy until after they were back on Platform 9 ¾. She was just picking up a box of shoes that she hadn't been able to fit inside her trunk when a streak of platinum blonde hair caught her eye.

She straightened and glanced in his direction. He was watching her while nodding to his mother simultaneously. His mother looked anxious, almost worried about something, and as her lips moved quickly Malfoy's head snapped around to stare at his mother in disbelief.

_So I'm nosy, so what? _Ginny thought to herself defensively as she weaved her way a bit closer to the pair of Malfoys, trying to appear casual.

"I haven't heard…the papers—"

"Shh, shh…they haven't discovered his absence yet." She whispered.

"It won't be long before one of the most wanted Death Eaters is found missing. They'll come looking, mother…" He whispered back to her.

"Then we'll just have to put him somewhere…just until tomorrow…But come, we must be getting home, no more talk of this here." Narcissa Malfoy glanced around suspiciously and took a hold of her son's arm, guiding him through the crowd.

Before he was torn away he gave Ginny a look that shook her to the core. It was fearful, almost scared, and something in his eyes begged her to join him and stay away at the same time. He mouthed one word to her, she read his lips: Tomorrow.

-

Okay well…that was a REALLY long chappie, let's see…..3,172 words! Aye-yie-yie! Hope you like it…I'm not too happy with some parts but yeah...I figure you've waited long enough, I only got to write a little bit each day…


	8. At the End of All Things

They marched along the open plains, awaiting site of the enemy. They were arranged in ranks: Oldest and most experienced of the Order were up front, the younger fighters near the back.

A redhead now snuck through this crowd, careful not to let anyone who might get her in trouble and send her back see her. She just had to see him….

The troops reached the top of the hill to find their enemy, waiting patiently and calmly down in the valley below.

Ginny was in the fourth line among the fighters, right on the edge of them. She wasn't supposed to be fighting period, let alone be this close to the enemies, in what Malfoy had once referred to as the "suicide division", the first few lines of fighters that got killed the quickest, even if they _were_ very experienced.

They stopped when they were level with the first line of Death Eaters, leaving a ten to twenty yard span of no-man's-land between them.

Ginny stood on her tip-toes to see over the tops of the heads in front of her. She then leaned out to the side to get a better look.

There was Voldemort, the center of the first line, perfectly lined up with Dumbledore. To his right, Ginny could see long silvery wisps of hair blown out of the hood. So it was true. Lucius escaped.

And to _his _right stood a slightly shorter Death Eater, but despite the height difference they shorter was a carbon-copy of Lucius, standing perfectly erect, in the same manner as Lucius. Draco…

The birds that had been singing a minute ago were gone, migrating away from this tension filled place, and the skies that were a perfect shade of perfect blue were rapidly growing darker by the minute as dark clouds rolled in to cover the shining sun. Lightning cracked in the distance, followed closely by a booming clap of thunder.

And there they all stood. Motionless, emotionless, too frightened to feel anything, yet too determined to feel frightened. For ten hours, maybe only ten minutes they stood there in silence. Time had vanished with the sun, and humanity had fled like the birds just minutes before. They were killers now.

Perhaps it was the way Voldemort wanted it to be, for the Order to make the first move, just to wait and see what happened. Whether he wanted it or not, the first spell came with the first sporadic drops of rain. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The first words were spoken, and with them all hell broke loose.

Members of the Order all down the front line dove to the ground and cast back various spells. Ginny ducked behind another member of the Order and cast a spell out to her left, where the Death Eaters were closing in.

Surrounded.

The ranks started to split then, as did the Death Eaters, each finding their own match to duel with to the death. Ginny wondered just how many of these fighters were the plotting boys on the train.

No one knew how long it was before the great scene unfolded before them, but Orders and Death Eaters alike found themselves stopping and leaving themselves defenseless as their Mentor and Master confronted each other.

"This was a mistake on your part, Tom, you'll die today." Dumbledore's voice carried on the strong wind, lashing everyone with freezing rain water.

"Then I'll take you with me, old man." Voldemort hissed in return. It appeared Voldemort was no longer shaken by Dumbledore.

They circled each other as the wind screamed higher around them. Everyone was silent, gaping at the two leaders.

They raised their wands to each other, and while Dumbledore bellowed, "Iubar Evinco!" Voldemort shrieked, "Meton Aboleo!"

A ball of white light flew into the sky and bombarded itself at Voldemort, while at the same time a ball of speeding darkness flew to Dumbledore.

They hit the ground at the same time.

They were both dead.

All stood in silence as a dark cloud rose from the area where Voldemort was and lunged at one of the Death Eaters.

At that moment in time, all was still. The rain had stopped, the thunder and lightning dissipated, and the wind left everything calm in such a way that not even a single strand of hair was blown about.

Many of the Death Eaters had lost their masks, their hoods falling down in the process of running and dodging spells. Bloody bodies littered the ground, some stunned, and others dead. A foul stench reached Ginny's nose, and upon looking around Ginny noticed that some members of the Order had been unfortunate enough to experience the entrail-expelling curse.

Ginny felt sick, and bowed down to quickly empty her stomach.

And just like that, the war was on once more, and everyone was dodging spells and casting them in return.

A ball of red light flew towards Ginny and she dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way, casting "Expelliarmus" on the way down. She didn't have time to see if it hit or not. Blinding pain ran through Ginny's body, and she let out an involuntary scream. Her bones burst into flames and quickly turned to ash, the spell was broken as quickly as it had come.

Shaking non-stop, Ginny tried to push herself up, but collapsed under weak arms. She sat on her knees, breathing heavily, trying to calm herself, to stop shaking before she was killed. She tried to stand, but her knees quickly gave way. She looked up upon hearing a familiar voice.

"Hullo, Virginia." The figured walked towards her.

"Parker?" she gasped between breaths of air. "Parker…you're…you're here…"

"Yes…I've been here all along, haven't I?"

"Have you come to help me?"

"I've come to give you a gift, Virginia." He was standing in front of her now. She shielded her eyes as the sun appeared behind him.

"Gift…?"

"Yes…" he knelt down beside her and lifted her chin. "Do you know who I am, Virginia?"

"Parker." She whispered. The person in front of her let out a bark of laughter. "Yes, I suppose. But who am I _really_?"

"Draco…"

"Close, dear, very close. Let me help you. I've given you a gift before. But I don't think you liked it very much…In fact…I do think I recall you trying to flush it down the toilet…"

Ginny's head snapped up and Lucius' face appeared and vanished back into Parker's. She crawled backwards, away from him. But he just advanced on her.

"Shh, shh." He silenced her calls for help. "You're in so much pain…not used to the Cruciatus are you?" Ginny let out a pitiful whimper and back away further.

"I'm going to make all your pain disappear, Virginia, don't worry." He raised his wand. "It'll all be over soon."

Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself, waiting for death to come. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Dead. Dead…Ginny didn't _feel_ dead…in fact she felt as she had moments before, the aftermath of the Cruciatus. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes.

Lawrence stood in front of her, his wand raised. Lucius Malfoy lay dead before her. "Lawrence…" she sighed. "Oh, Harry…"

"Ginny!" Ginny turned her head to see her brother as a Death Eater fell to the ground in front of him, completely paralyzed. "Gin, what are you doing here! Get out!"

"Ron! Ron, come help me over here!" Harry yelled. Ginny turned her head to the left to see Harry dueling with a Death Eater. One look in front of her showed Lawrence.

"Who are you?" she asked weakly. She felt fairly faint. Every movement seared with pain.

As Lawrence crouched in front of her, Draco Malfoy's face flashed before her and disappeared again. "Are you okay?"

"Draco…?" Everything was starting to blur. "_You're _Lawrence?"

"Guess it explains why Lawrence and Parker hated each other." He laughed lightly. "Can you stand?"

Ginny shook her head. "I don't feel well…" Ginny laid her head back as darkness enveloped her.

-

_'"Hurry on, now, we must be going." Lawrence ushered Virginia outside, over to the carriage that awaited them._

_"No." she said suddenly, pushing her heels into the ground to stop him from moving her. "__Lawrence__…" she turned to him. "I can't go with you…"_

_"But it's done, __Virginia__! It's done, the war is over." He answered hopefully. "Why can we not be together even now, at the end of all things?"_

_"I can't __Lawrence__…I'm so sorry."_

_"__Virginia__…" he whispered her name in an almost pitiful manner. "I love you…"_

_Tears formed in Ginny's eyes. "What of my friends and family—what would they say?"_

_"They're gone, __Virginia__, dead. They can't keep us apart any more." _

_Ginny let herself be pulled in __Lawrence__'s strong arms._

_"I love you." She whispered it almost inaudibly. _

_He didn't have to hear her._

_He already knew.'_

-

Ginny didn't awake on the grasses of the battlefield. It was cold, and quiet, and Ginny feared for a moment that she might be dead, in limbo, or purgatory, or wherever dead people went. All thoughts of death were pushed from her mind as pain broke through her body when she turned over.

Pounding footsteps and a distant voice could be heard yelling, "M' Lord, she's awake!"

-

All done. Haha. Seriously now. This story is over. Done. Finito. But don't worry—I'm not mean enough to not give you a sequel. Hehe!

**Translations**

Iubar Evinco Lightness Prevails

Meton Aboleo Darkness Destroys


End file.
